Group praises deputies for swift enforcement action against illegal blood sport tied to gambling, violence, and disease risks
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — Animal Wellness Action today applauded the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office for disrupting a suspected cockfighting operation near Lodi and detaining individuals connected to the illegal event after deputies uncovered a large gathering involving approximately 150 vehicles and dozens of fighting birds.
According to authorities, deputies responded to reports of a possible cockfighting event near Kettleman Lane and Highway 12 on May 24. Using drone surveillance, deputies located a large gathering in an orchard area where many attendees fled upon law enforcement’s arrival. Deputies recovered 18 live roosters, including birds locked inside a vehicle, and Animal Services officers took custody of the animals.
Animal Wellness Action praised the Sheriff’s Office for aggressively confronting an illegal animal fighting enterprise that is closely tied to organized gambling, narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons activity, and severe cruelty to animals.
“We commend the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office for taking decisive action to disrupt this barbaric criminal enterprise,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “Cockfighting is not a cultural pastime — it is organized animal cruelty tied to gambling, violence, and other criminal conduct. These birds endure horrific suffering for the entertainment and profit of spectators.”
“Sheriff’s deputies sent a powerful message that San Joaquin County will not tolerate staged animal fighting operations,” Pacelle said. “We especially applaud the use of modern investigative tools, including drone technology, to uncover and dismantle these clandestine gatherings. Our own investigators utilize these same tools.”
Pacelle noted that California banned cockfighting in 1905, but the staged battles remain as the state’s most widespread form of illegal animal cruelty, tied to large-scale breeding operations and documented shipments of fighting birds from California overseas, which is concerning given the spread of H5N1 bird flu.
Animal Wellness Action warned that cockfighting operations pose serious public health dangers because fighting birds are frequently trafficked across state and international borders with no veterinary oversight. Experts have long warned that illegal gamefowl trafficking contributes to the spread of avian diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The organization urged prosecutors to pursue the strongest possible charges against organizers and participants connected to the suspected operation and encouraged continued enforcement efforts throughout California.
Animal Wellness Action is advocating for continued aggressive enforcement and passage of federal legislation to dismantle cockfighting networks permanently. The federal Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 3946 and S. 1454, would strengthen penalties for animal fighting, enhance federal enforcement tools, and target the organized criminal enterprises behind these operations. The bill is supported by the National Sheriffs’ Association and more than 450 other law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,100 endorsing agencies and organizations. U.S. Representatives Josh Harder, D-Calif., and Adam Gray, D-Calif., representing parts of San Joaquin County, have cosponsored the FIGHT Act. U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has cosponsored the Senate bill, S. 1454, which is led by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.
Cockfighting involves forcing specially bred roosters to fight to the death, while spectators gamble on the outcome. Birds are commonly outfitted with razor-sharp blades or gaffs attached to their legs, causing catastrophic injuries and prolonged suffering. The investigation remains ongoing. Seized birds are currently being housed at the county’s animal shelter, according to local authorities.
Animal Wellness Action is a national animal advocacy organization working to end animal fighting and strengthen enforcement against cruelty crimes nationwide. Animal Wellness Action offers rewards for people reporting dogfighting or cockfighting. Tips can be sent to tips@animalwellnessaction.org.